Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Good Evening Old Blues and Staff

Sadly my Gran (Sybil Neville, 2s) died on Sunday and as an Old Blue (along with her brother, one son and three grandchildren) she was always devoted to the school... in light of this at her Funeral on Monday we are hoping to sing the foundation hymn. Annoyingly I can't find the music (for the organ player) or an MP3 (to accompany the non-Old Blue members of the congregation). Would you be able to advise as to where i might find these?

Many thanks

Paul

PM me Paul and I will send you a copy on CD and the printed words and music.
I'm sorry to learn of your grandmother's death.
Kerren

Kerren, this mini thread is exactly the reason that, (booted or not), I'm proud of CH and the values it instilled in us. Well done you, proud of you too even if I only knew your name before this Forum because it was written in a 'house list' in a book 'up t'imf'.

Well, I have not yet had a PM from Paul, but I will copy the Foundation Hymn to a CD tonight, and take the hymnbook to work tomorrow to photocopy, in case he does so tomorrow with his address. I don't know how soon his grandmother's funeral is, but I am happy to send him the stuff by First Class Post........

PS
a) What on EARTH was my name doing in a book in the Infirmary?!
b) I think you are coming to Hertford Museum and the subsequent gathering(s) on 2 August? So I look forward to seeing you for real, then!

Kerren

Paul,
Sorry to hear of your loss. I've already got a scanned copy of the words and music, and an mp3 file of the Foundation Hymn, which I have emailed you links to this evening.

I hope the funeral goes as well as can be expected.

With kind regards,

Julian

Hello Paul.. NB your grandmother would not have known verse 3 - about th'unbroken story, linking present with the past.....praise him for our spacious dwelling, ringed with downs and woodlands fair........' We didn't have that verse at Hertford (for obvious reasons...)
Hope all goes well..
Kerren

Hi Paul, and welcome to the forum. I'm very sorry for your loss, as is everyone else, but as Gerrie said, this thread alone makes all of the (Julian's) work that has gone into this forum worthwhile. I sincerely hope that the Foundation Hymn gets sung, and with the gusto that your grandmother would undoubtedly have appreciated. (If I remember correctly, it's not a difficult tune to pick up!)

Does anyone have the lyrics and an MP3 of the foundation hymn that they could send me?
I keep trying to remember it and to my shame I keep failing, so help would be much appreciated.

Julian has posted it on this forum somewhere, Sean (but I can't remember where!)
Otherwise I think I copied it to CD for someone who wanted it for a funeral, and in the end they didn't need it (because of Julian's help, above). So if you'd like that CD, PM me?
Kerren

Lyrics for convenience:

Praise the Lord for our Foundation,
praise him for our holy name,
Christ our host and our salvation,
yesterday, to-day, the same.
In his tender love he sought us
when we needed most his aid,
by the hand of man he brought us
to the home his love had made.

Praise him for religious guiding,
for the royal founder king,
for the ancient House providing
shelter 'neath her kindly wing.
Prosper, Lord, with heavenly blessing,
lives of those who love her peace;
with thy love their hearts possessing,
make their number to increase.

Praise him for th'unbroken story,
linking present with the past,
old world habit, civic glory,
time-worn customs newly cast.
Praise him for our spacious dwelling,
ringed with downs and woodlands fair,
wind and storm and sun forthtelling
all his word in earth and air.

Brothers, best with righteous living
shall our grateful thanks be paid,
lifting up with hearts forgiving
holy prayer in duty made.
Praise we thus the God of heaven,
Christ our saviour and our host,
with the Lord of spirits seven,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

You wouldn't happen to have the Derek Baker version, Geraint?